Steering gear



Patented July 7, 1925. .A

UNITED STATES 1,545,354 PAT ENT N oFFicEf.

DAVID E. ROSS, O'F LA FAYETTE, INDIANA,r ASSIGNOR TO'ROSS1GEAR & TOOL COM- PANY, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA, A CORPORATIONOF INDIANA. I

STEERING, GEAR.

Application filediMarch 7,1921. Serial No. 450,461.

To all 'zo/Lomi# may conc-era.' i

` Be it'known that I, DAVID E. Ross, a citi- Zen of the United Statearesidiiig; at La Fayette, in the county ofTippecanoe Vand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steeringv Gears; `and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, 'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which formpart of this specification. This invention is an improvement in steering gears for automobiles, fboats, etc. Its `object is to `provide a Hsimple, compact, strong steering gear in which `motion is transmitted direct'from the steering shaft to the iocker shaft in 'a `powerful and efficient manner; which gear can be readily adjusted, is free from back lash, and will hold the steering wheels or rudder securely in any desired position.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one practical embodiment of the invention and will explain the same with reference to the drawings and set forth in the claims the essentials of the invention and novel features of construction and combinations of parts for which protection is de`- sired.

In said drawings: p

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the steering gear on the line 1-1, Fig. 2, with part of the casing removed.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, partly inY elevation, on the line 2-2 Fig. 1.

The rocker shaft 1 is mounted in a casing 2 of any suitable construction, which casing may be fastened to the machine on which the gear is to be used by any suitable means; being shown as secured by a bracket 21 attached to a beam 2c of the chassis of a vehicle.

The steering arm 1fL may be of any desired construction and connected in any suitable manner to the outer end of the rocker shaft.

Preferably the steering arm 1a will be connected to the rocker shaft 1 by devices as shown in my Patent No. 1,136,557, dated April 20, 1915. Y

On the inner end of the rocker shaft is a spiral gear lb which meshes with spiral ribs 3a on a disk 3 which is keyed, or otherwise rigidly fastened, to the steering shaft 4. The shaft 4 extends at right angles to the rocker shaft 1 as shown, but may be set at tlielshaftfl'is horizontal. The shaft 4. may be Journaled' `in suitablefbearings `in the housing 2.` y f The housing 2 is shown as provided with rate halves with lugs 2 on their .meeting edges united by bolts 2 asshown in the drawings.- As shown `the housing has a bearing 6 for the hub of the` 'gear 3'which housing is supported in the inneriend of an adjustable nut 8` which supportsthe lower end of thesteering rod leasing 4".4 Preferably a ball thrust bearing`7 is interposed between the outer sidefof the disk 3 and transmitted to the thrust bearing 7 and by this means wear on the gear teeth and ribs can be compensated for.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that when the steering shaft 4 is turned the disk 3 will be turned therewith and, according to any desired inclination to the verticalwhen l @o 'va'ch'amber 2m vfor thereception of the `gear 1b and a chamber 2l for the reception of the gear This housing maybe made in sepa` the direction of rotation ofthe steering f shaft 4, the teeth or ribs 3a on disk3 engaging the spiral gear 1b will cause the latter, and the rocker shaft, to move right or left with greater or `less speed according to the angularity of the spiral gears or ribs 3n o n the disk 3 and the angularity of the teeth of geanlb; and thus rotation of the shaft 4 will cause a'corresponding rotative movement of the rocker shaftl; and the change of motion is effected immediately and directly by the engagement of the spiral ribs 3a on disk 3 with the spiral teeth of gear 1b on the rockershaft.

The spiral ribs 3il and the teeth of .the spiral gear 1b may be of any desired angularity, but are such that a rotary motion of the steering shaft 4 will impart a rocking movement to the shaft 1. Of course the relative extent of movement imparted by shaft 4 to the shaft 1 through the gearing described will depend upon the relative angularity of the gear ribs and teeth, and could be varied by changing such angularity. The ribs 3a and the teeth on the work gear rotation to the steeringA shaft 4. In other.

words the steering shaft 4 through disk 3 and gear lb may operate shaft l; but shaft 1 can not `through said gears operate shaft 4, ifthe teeth are properly developed, eX-

A cept possibly under very extreme pressure.

vI claim: l. In a steering gear, a casing, a rocker sha-ft journaled therein, a spiral gear on one l end of the rocker shaft, a disk mounted in the vcasing at right angles` to the axis of the rocker shaft and having 'spiralribs on its face meshing with the said gear, and ak steering shaft entering the casing and connected with said disk; with an adjustable bearing in the casing` supporting the saidy disk and inner end of thevsteering shaft, a thrust bearing interposed between the disk and `said journal bearing,

and means for adjusting the thrust bearing to maintain close engagement between the disk and gear.

2. In a steering gear as set forth, in claim 1, said adjustable bearing comprising a threaded collar engaging threads in the casing halves, said Vcollar receiving the lower end of the steering'post and a bushing lon the hub of the disk, whereby when theF threaded collar is turned, the pressure orf the disk is transmitted to the thrust bearing, therebyicompensating for the wear on the gear teeth, `substantially as described.

3. In a steering gear; a easing; a rocker shaft] journaled therein; a spiral gear on one end of the rocker shaft; a disk mounted in the. casing at right angles to the axis of e.

the rocker shaft and having spiral ribs on its face meshing'with the said gear; a steering shaft entering the casing and connected with said disk; a threaded adjustable collar in the Lcasing receiving the lower end of said steering shaft and a 'bushingi on the hub of the disk; a thrust bearing interposed between the disk and' collar; and means for adjusting the collar to maintain close .en-

gagement 'between the disk and gear to p compensate for wear oiitlie .gear teethQ In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I ailix my signature.

DAVID n. Ross. 

